Growing Together!
June 21, 2026
There is nothing like long June days! Our local suppliers are harvesting an abundance of fresh produce as the growing season shifts into high gear. Early fruits and vegetables are filling our cooler space, while later crops are soaking up the 18 hours of daily solar energy we get at our latitude in June to grow root vegetables, grains, tree fruits we’ll enjoy before long. As a local, organic food co-op, we celebrate and nurture diversity. Our store’s footprint may be small, but we offer more real choice in products than the big grocery stores because it is our priority to stock what members want, purchase from unique, small, local suppliers like Better Baked Cookies, Casita Hummus, Pueblo Chili Co. and Naturally Amped whose smaller production runs are perfectly sized for independent stores like Steep Hill. We are also perfectly sized, and flexible enough to sell fresh-picked fruit and vegetables from nearby farmers as it comes into season. It makes the trip from the field to your fridge faster than larger suppliers can get their products to the warehouses the big grocery stores rely on.
Like our province’s motto “from many peoples, strength” you, our members and shoppers are Steep Hill’s strength! Your regular purchases keep good food on your own tables, while your food dollars busily support our suppliers and our co-op’s overhead costs. Being a co-operative member, you also have the opportunity to contribute some of your own time and talents to the vibrancy and conviviality that truly sets a small co-op like Steep Hill apart from the big box grocery stores and discount food warehouses.
There are many possibilities for you to bring your interests, talents, skills, creativity and energy to grow our Steep Hill community. Are you interested in volunteering but don’t like answering your phone? If you prefer to be reached by text, fill in the Volunteer contact and feedback form to let us know what you are interested in – and when there are tasks or small projects that might be a good fit, we can get in touch with you.
Photo Credit: Amielle Christopherson
Shopping News
Speaking of local food - our produce section is bursting with a wide selection of fresh and delicious foods these days. New and different products are being delivered by our suppliers frequently.
We had to interrupt our series celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer profile series because our suppliers are all too busy farming this month! But do celebrate them by trying products grown by Joan Hepting from Seven Meadows, Rachel Buhler from Floating Gardens, Karen Skoworodko from Our Farm YXE, and Julie Maxwell from Crocus Hill.
Seven Meadows
- Red, yellow, orange, and green peppers
- Dardevil peppers
- Beefsteak, Roma, and cherry tomatoes
- Long English cucumbers
Dixon Simpkins
- Asparagus
- Red potatoes
- Red beets
- Parsnips
- Sweet and rainbow carrots
Grassroots Farm
- Kale
- Green leaf lettuce
- Romaine lettuce
- Dill, parsley, cilantro
- Bok choy
- Swiss chard
- Mustard greens
Floating Gardens
- Eggplants
- Mini cucumbers
- Basil
- Elegance
- Arugula
The Makers Way
- Cauliflower mushrooms
- Chanterelles (soon!)
Our Farm YXE
- Sorrel
- Hungarian hot wax peppers
- Chives
- (will be more as the season progresses)
Crocus Hill (Julie Maxwell)
- We’ll have her produce shortly
Photo Credit: Amielle Christopherson
Virtuous Circles! Steep Hill’s Support for the Planet and Community Keeps Going Around
Steep Hill Food Co-op has always been dedicated to supporting local producers, the community, and the planet itself. Our commitment to organic food and other products, locally grown or produced whenever possible, is well-known. Steep Hill works with over two dozen local farmers and suppliers to fill the store with everything from fresh and frozen fruit, fresh vegetables, baking, eggs, drinks, gluten-free products, and so much more! Buying local means a reduced carbon footprint from transportation, as well as increased vitality of Saskatchewan farmers and producers, as our urban food dollars circulate back to nearby rural communities.
Do you know about some of our other measures to support the community and minimize waste?
As you might guess, Steep Hill’s main potential source of waste is perishable food. We regularly donate to the Riversdale Community Fridge, an initiative that helps counter food insecurity and poverty by working with groups like us. According to Fridge volunteers, people line up on delivery days in anticipation of the food.
Staff regularly go through produce and set aside imperfect items; these are then discounted as much as 50%. This work has the double benefit of savings for Steep Hill customers and ensuring that usable produce is sold. Of course, not all produce is salvageable. This produce goes into the store’s compost, which is picked up by one of our volunteers.
Steep Hill recycles and reuses as much cardboard and paper as possible. Empty egg cartons are returned to the supplier and the boxes that are not appropriate for reuse are flattened for pick-up by one of our recycling volunteers. These volunteers also ensure that spent pens and batteries, plastic, mesh bags, Styrofoam, etc. are all properly recycled. Our goal is to send as little material as possible to the landfill.
The store encouraged the use of reusable bags before it was cool (who still has an official Steep Hill bag?) and continues to do so. Our ‘take a bag/leave a bag’ system encourages people to donate extra reusable bags; having those bags available means that the store doesn’t have to spend money on paper bags.
How can you support Steep Hill in its work? Increasing Steep Hill’s visibility and reach in the community is a major factor in the co-op’s continued success. Make sure that you’re following us on social media, Facebook and Instagram and interacting with our content. We like likes! A positive review on sites like Google or Yelp helps boost the store’s image – let the world know why you shop at Steep Hill!
Looking Ahead
September seems a long way off, but be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, September 12. That’s the date of the annual Broadway Street Fair, a one-day celebration of the Broadway district. Steep Hill will be partnering with Broadway BID again to coordinate volunteer coverage for the event. Just like for the recent Spring Fling event, we’ll need volunteers to operate Steep Hill’s outdoor presence and spread the word about the store. More specific information on times and how to sign up to volunteer will be coming out closer to the event, so watch this space!
As always, two hours of volunteer work (in-store or in another capacity) gives you working member status for the following month, which provides you with the working member discount (6% off the shelf price). For in-store volunteer work, sign up for a shift in the store or by calling 306-664-4455 or emailing hello@steephillfood.ca to request a shift.
View June 2026 Volunteer Schedule
View July 2026 Volunteer Schedule
Fairtrade Day
Members Nancy Allan, Ann Brander and Rae Hearn created a lively display table of Steep Hill’s Fairtrade products to celebrate Fairtrade Day in May.
Chickpea and Fruit Salad
You’ve been invited to a backyard BBQ. The host says, “bring a salad!” What’s it going to be? A lettuce salad that will wilt in the heat? Potato salad that must be refrigerated? A fussy salad that requires mixing at the last minute? (Looking at you, Caesar.) Here’s a fresh, summery pre-made happy in the shade kind of salad that adds a fruity twist to potlucks and summer BBQs.
Chickpeas will not wilt in the sun. A lemony dressing does not need refrigeration. The “tart” in the lemon prevents the fruit from browning. It will also please the gluten-free and vegan diners in the crowd. Best of all (other than its deliciousness) this salad features the bounty of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan grows 85 percent of Canada’s chickpeas, and about 30 percent of chickpeas in North America overall.
There are two types of chickpeas: desi and kabuli. Desi chickpeas are small and dark. They are most commonly used in Asian and African cuisine. Kabuli chickpeas are large and pale, perfect for salads, the most common chickpea found in tins and in bulk bins. If cooking the chickpeas from scratch, use 2 cups of cooked chickpeas in this recipe.
Chickpea Fruit Salad
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/2” piece of ginger (scant 4 cm)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. chilli powder
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 peaches
- 2 apples
- 1 tin kabuli chickpeas (540 ml)
- 3-5 spring onions (depending on their size)
- 1/4 cup chopped coriander
- Smash the garlic. Finely chop the ginger. Using a mortar and pestle (or two forks) mash the garlic and ginger with the salt, cumin and chilli powder until it forms a fragrant pulp. Stir in the lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Whisk in the oil.
- Peel and pit the peaches and apples. Chop into small pieces about the size of a chickpea.
- Mix the fruit with the chickpeas. Add the spring onions, thinly sliced including the tender green parts, and the chopped coriander.
- Stir in the garlic-ginger dressing. Marinate in the fridge for several hours or for 1-2 hours at room temperature to meld the flavours before serving.
Indigenous Peoples Day
We celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on solstice, June 21. Head out to Wanuskewin for a day of cultural and educational activities from 10 AM til 4 PM. You might top it off with a meal featuring foods from Steep Hill like wild rice, bison, corn, beans, quinoa, tomatoes, and Saskatoon berries – all foods central to the cuisines and cultures of Indigenous peoples of North and South America. êkwa, mîcisotân! (Cree for “come on, let’s eat!”)
Pride Grows Here!
June is the month of rainbows galore – even on sunny days, during Pride month. Check out Steep Hill’s entry in the Broadway BID’s window decorating contest next time you pick up your groceries. Saskatoon’s Annual Pride Parade will be on June 28 from noon til 2 PM - a grand finale to an amazing month of Pride events! Celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community from the new and improved parade route that will provide better accessibility and shade on what we hope is a beautiful Sunday afternoon!
Check out the Saskatoon Pride website for all the events!
Put Your Pop Cans To Work
You can use SARCAN’s Drop and Donate program to help Steep Hill! To “volunteer” your pop cans and returnable bottles, go to the Drop and Go entrance off to the side of the main doors. Fill in the computer screen form, and put the phrase “Steep Hill Food” to tell SARCAN where your donation should go. The machine will print a barcode sticker for your bag or box of cans/bottles. SARCAN will calculate the value of your donation and e-transfer it to Steep Hill.
An Invitation
Last month we shared this welcoming and informative poster in the newsletter to help you help your neighbours, co-workers and other social circles discover Steep Hill. Most small businesses are happy to put the posters up. Many community centres, gyms, workplaces, and coffee shops have bulletin boards, and condo or apartment buildings often have a spot where neighbours put up notices.
If you would like to introduce Steep Hill to more future shoppers and potential members you can click on the image below to download the letter-sized poster, then make copies with your colour printer. If you don’t have a colour printer, you can pick up copies at the store. Call or email ahead, so staff can have some ready for you - and mention some of the locations you’re thinking of placing posters. It will be good for us to know how far and wide they are being seen.
Follow and Share Steep Hill Online
Between monthly newsletters, Steep Hill staff post new product information, staff picks, supplier news, and timely updates on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. If you like Steep Hill - “like us” on Social Media too. You can go to the home pages to check in on the latest, and share posts from there or from your news feed with your own network. You can help expand our online reach by tagging Steep Hill Food Co-op in your own posts too.
> We Want to Hear From You!
For information about products and the store, email us at hello@steephillfood.ca or call 306-664-4455.
To contact the Board of Directors with ideas, feedback, concerns or questions, email board@steephillfood.ca or fill out a “How did we do today” card when you are in the store.
Thanks to Amielle Christopherson, Adam Douglas, Amy Jo Ehman, Cathy Holtslander, and Maryann Scott for contributing to this Newsletter! If you would like to join the newsletter crew, just send an email to board@steephillfood.ca.
Your grocery store on Broadway!